The exercise of power is determined by thousands of interactions between the world of the powerful and that of the powerless, all the more so because these worlds are never divided by a sharp line: everyone has a small part of himself in both - Vaclav Havel

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Film-maker 'murdered' by Israeli soldier

James Miller was shot in the neck in 2003A British cameraman shot dead in the Gaza Strip by an Israeli soldier was murdered, an inquest jury has decided.James Miller, 34, from Devon, was shot by a soldier from the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) while making a film in a Palestinian refugee camp in 2003.

An Israeli investigation in April 2005 cleared a soldier of misusing firearms.

Coroner Andrew Reid had told the jury at St Pancras Coroner's Court, London, on Thursday to return a verdict of unlawful killing.

He said they had to decide in the context of the case whether he had been murdered or was a victim of manslaughter.

After around an hour of deliberation, the jury decided that Mr Miller had been deliberately shot on the night of 2 May 2003.

A jury spokeswoman said: "We, the jury, unanimously agree this was an unlawful shooting with the intention of killing Mr James Miller.

"Therefore we can come to no other conclusion than that Mr Miller was indeed murdered."

Palestinian children

The spokeswoman added: "It is a fact that from day one of this inquest the Israeli authorities have not been forthcoming in the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr Miller's death."

Mr Miller, originally from Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, was making a film about Palestinian children in the Rafah refugee camp at the time.

He was trying to ask the soldiers if it was safe to leave the area when he was fatally wounded in the neck.

Metropolitan Police Det Insp Robert Anderson told the inquest on Thursday that Israel had been "uncooperative" during their own investigations into the shooting.

Access denied

Mr Anderson said he had asked to visit Israel to interview soldiers concerned and other witnesses.

But, he said: "Israel has been uncooperative with the Metropolitan Police in that they haven't allowed us access to interview soldiers and witnesses."

He said the Metropolitan Police investigation had to see witnesses who had already been interviewed by the IDF, such as reporter Saira Shah, and rely on reports from the pathologist and ballistic experts.

Mr Anderson said his investigation, based on the available evidence, had found there was no evidence either that the dead man had posed a threat to the IDF at the time of the shooting, or that there had been any Palestinian fire directed at the soldiers' position.

Dr Reid concluded the hearing saying he intended to write to the Attorney General to seek to prevent similar deaths occurring.

4 Comments:

Why don´t you convert to Islamism and move there?So at least you could have an idea what are you talking about instead this stupid copy/paste from the Media.And I hope very well; if not I am going myself to take care of it,that no single Jew it´s doing any business with you. Would be a shame.

Not only they don't want the killings of children reported but they make sure it will not be reported. For that, it suffices that they 'accidentally' kill a reproter and the others will fear for their lives. I know the methods of this army. This is the same army that stood in Beyrouth waiting for the lebanese phalangist to kill women and children in the palestinian camps. It trained these phalangists in israel and gave them plastic bags to clean the 'mess' of Sabra and Chatila. A german director released recently a documentary composed mostly from interviews with the killers of Sabra and Chatila and these killers were very clear about israel's cooperation and guidance in the massacres. Massaker by Monika Borgmann; Lokman Slim and Hermann Theissen.